GIRLS: SALINA SOUTH 57, JUNCTION CITY 21

JUNCTION CITY (0-2) – 2 – 4 – 5 – 10 / 21

SALINA SOUTH (2-0) – 24 – 14 – 17 – 2 / 57

The Salina South Cougars improved to 2-0 on the season Tuesday night with a dominant 57-21 win over the Junction City Lady Jays.

The Cougars scored the first 19 points of the game, and never looked back, taking a 24-2 lead at the end of the first quarter behind stifling defense and quality shot making.

Sophomore Paityn Fritz led all scorers with 17 points on the night, including 11 in the first half to help the Cougars grab complete control of the game early.

Brooklyn Jordan shined for South as well, scoring 11 points, nine of which after halftime, in a great bounce-back effort following a game where she battled foul trouble much of the night on Friday.

The Cougars only allowed double-digits in the fourth quarter, when most of the underclassman players were getting some of their first varsity experience. That said, the Cougars’ defense has held its opponents to single-digit outputs in six of the first eight quarters of action this season.

South will next put that strong defense to the test as they take on Salina Central on Friday in Mabee Arena on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan University.

H & R BLOCK OF THE GAME: PAITYN FRITZ

NEX-TECH WIRELESS PLAYER OF THE GAME: BROOKLYN JORDAN

BOYS: JUNCTION CITY 66, SALINA SOUTH 41

JUNCTION CITY (2-0) – 25 – 13 – 17 – 11 / 66

SALINA SOUTH (0-2) – 13 – 4 – 12 – 12 / 41

The Salina South Cougars got quite the test on Tuesday night, playing host to the Junction City Blue Jays, who qualified for the 6A State Tournament last season.

The Blue Jays use their speed and athleticism, as well as the three point shot to jump on South early, leading 25-13 at the end of the first quarter, and it would grow from there, as JCHS won 66-41.

The Cougars, despite their efforts, struggled defensively with the task that was a deep and big Blue Jay attack, but through it all saw progress on the floor.

A pair of Cougar Sophomores, Gavin Devoe (17) and Sawyer Walker (10) led South in scoring, showing tremendous growth in just their second games in the program. A shorthanded South team, due to a key injury to Senior Layson Sajdak, was in need of others to pick up some slack, and Devoe and Walker did exactly that.

Brady Howard and Jace Humphrey each added in six points as well, as the Cougars fell to 0-2 on the young season, but will have a chance to get a big-time first win of the season on Friday night against crosstown rivals Salina Central.

H & R BLOCK OF THE GAME: JACE HUMPHREY

NEX-TECH WIRELESS PLAYER OF THE GAME: GAVIN DEVOE